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User blog:TheReturnOfTheKing/Hallows Maleficent
Over here, I came up with an idea to create a fourth Omniverse Nexus Wiki dedicated to horror. Of all the blog posts in the ATOWI Series, I believe this one has the most potential. I'll be adding details on the idea here. In the event that I actually manage to sway anyone and make this into an actual thing, the stuff posted here will form the basis of the new wiki. Alrighty, then, let's get started! In the immortal words of the Doctor, allons-y! History Once, there was a world. Now, there is the Fog and the Hallows. The Old World was home to a (sort of clichéd, to be honest) wise and powerful empire dedicated to upholding the peace. In reality, it was probably very far from a utopia, but legend has made it into just that. There was peace and general amnesty. Then came the Demons of Brunikor, who for reasons forgotten by the ages attempted to invade the Old World. Most historians agree that this invasion was the continuation of a war between the Demons and the long-forgotten Gods of the Overworld, as by occupying the Overworld they could get a better shot at the big guys. Whatever the reason, the people of the Old World opposed and fought them. Legend tells of an overwhelming and glorious victory, but the truth is that the Demons probably came very close to pounding them into the ground. After this victory, the Demons were driven back to Brunikor and there was much celebration. Then it came. Some say the Demons caused it in an act of vengeful spite. Others claim it was an act of the Gods to punish the people of the Old World, who having conquered the Demons believed they could next topple the gods. Still others say it was one of the weapons forged during the war detonated by a mad sorcerer who wanted to rule the world. Whatever the cause, the Fog came, rolling over the world and causing it to vanish. Reality and sanity broke down within the Fog and left nothing unscathed. Soon, the entire Old World would be coated and everyone would die to have their souls forever imprisoned within the Fog. But a few talented magicians luckily managed to create the Hallows, objects which could dispel the Fog and create pockets of safety where people could live. Some of the most powerful Hallows preserved entire continents, others little forest glades. But slowly, knowledge of how to make Hallows and traverse the Fog was lost, or it never existed before the Fog grew too strong. Over time, the existing Hallows have been weakening and the Fog has been closing in, so that no place no matter how sacred is truly free of it's maddening influence. It raises foul monstrosities, warps flesh and traps souls to forever torment the living in the form of Zombies, Ghosts, Wraiths, Phantoms and other undead and spectral beings. Many fear that the Fog is unstoppable and that it will destroy them all. And somewhere in the darkness, many fear that the Demons will return to finish what they started. The World The world of HM, known as the Fogscape to those select few aware that there's anything beyond the Fog, is comprised of two elements - the Fog and the Hallows. The Fog The Fog is why everything really kinda sucks for pretty much everyone. In a nutshell, it's not your ordinary San Francisco fog - it's a maddening otherworldly force that breaks up matter, drives people insane, spawns horrifying monsters and imprisons the souls of the dead so they can never reach the afterlife. It destroyed the Old World as well as everything but the Hallows, and even those are starting to be consumed. Hallows The Hallows are the areas protected by the influence of magical objects created by wizards of the Old World. They range in size from a couple meters across to entire continents bigger than Novarckas. But the people of the Hallows are by no means safe. Maleficent is a word for evil/dark, so if even the hallows are maleficent, as the name implies, then where aren't you going to find creepiness!? Planned Hallows These are ideas I had for hallows. Feel free to pitch ideas in the comments and I'll add them here. Skarath The main world. Basically, a large continent which was invaded by monsters a while back. The scattered Humans cling to small pockets of civilization for dear life. Travel is rare and fear and superstition are rampant, albeit largely justified. Only a handful of brave warriors prevent the death and destruction of every non-monstrous sapient being in the Hallow. Edo Comprised mostly of water and a pair of huge islands, Edo is home to one of the last true empires in the Fogscape, albeit a relatively primitive one. The Edo Shogunate lives in fear of monsters from the deep, Kaiju which fight for power uncaring of the people they are trampling underfoot. Basically a rip-off of Japanese monster movies. Contagion One word - Zombies. To make a long story short, a highly advanced magitek society accidentally released a plague that caused a zombocalypse. Now, a handful of survivors fight for survival against the undead hordes that have come to dominate the hallow. I mean, c'mon, every good horror story needs a proper zombie apocalypse! Races These are the races we have so far. Humans You probably know what a human is. Odds are, you are one yourself. Unless, of course, you're an alien spy, which begs the question of what you're doing on a sci-fi wiki about aliens when you could be spying on top government officials and the like. Ghosts When you die, your soul is forever stranded in the Fog, nameless, lonely shadows doomed to forever wander with only a figment of sapience, alone, aware, inanimate and insane. However, some souls were powerful enough to warp the power of the Fog and make weakened, insubstantial bodies for themselves. These souls were the first Ghosts. Though many have since faded back into the Fog, some have gained the strength to escape it's embrace and return to the Hallows. Few, if any, remember anything about their previous life, and those that do will likely never see their loved ones again. Therefore, Ghosts live a second life in the shadows. They eke out a living in the shadow of those who are alive. In many places, Ghosts are a common sight and respected members of their community, but in some Hallows, they are feared and hated, considered an ill omen. Many Ghosts seek to find the legendary Afterlife, a soul's final destination before the Fog came, but as far as we know, no Ghost has yet reached it. That hasn't deterred most from seeking it, though. Phantoms They were once Ghosts, but they have gained enough form and substance to eke out a material life in the Fog. To them, the Fog is like a Hallow whilst the Hallows are to them what the Fog is to us. They are the opposite of humankind, feared and hated by many. From dust and ashes, they carve insubstantial empires. Sometimes, a Human can find these empires on the edge of a Hallow, but to them it is little more than smoke and mirrors. They can walk through Phantom walls just as Phantoms can walk through ours. Some scholars speculate that the existence of Phantoms means there is more to the Fog than we'd assumed, that there may be some form to the supposed destroyer of all substance. But the Phantoms aren't talking, save for the brave and foolhardy who venture into Hallows. Monsters Nightmares Nightmares are insubstantial beings born of the Fog that feed on emotions and memories. They feed on the memories of joy and loss, birth and sorrow, leaving a victim catatonic, dead people with beating hearts. Alan The Alan are a race of avian humanoids not-native to the Fog. They have been in legend since the old world where they were often treated as divine beings. However as the Fog rolled in they were shunned and forgotten. They now live in small villages within Hallows and the Fog. With grotesque twisted features they are often treated badly by beings that come across them, however it must be noted that they always keep their word, no matter what it is. Demons Though seldom seen anymore, it is undeniable that the Demons are out there somewhere. They exist as shadows in the Fog and screams cut short in the dark. Legend has it that Demons can walk through the Fog, and when the last Hallow falls, they will come to finish what they started - vengeance. Kaiju Titanic monstrosities born of the sea and the Fog, Kaiju are enormous, mutated monstrosities who fight each other for dominance of the Hallow of Edo, uncaring of those they trample underfoot. Many think them immortal, and certainly the only accounts of Humans killing them are in legend. Zombies The Zombie contagion is like any other mutant that is born of the Fog. It's a formless, fungal sludge. But unlike other Fog-spawned abominations, the Zombie can possess humanoid hosts and animate them using a hive mind. These hosts gain supernatural abilities, incredible stamina, unrivalled speed and an extreme pain threshold. The Zombie hosts seek only to devour flesh and infect others, spreading the hive mind's deadly reach. Lore The End of the Old World TBA The Fall of Contagion There was a time when mighty Contagion was home to a mighty empire. They had overcome the madness of the Fog and arisen from the ashes of the New World to set in motion a glorious end to the pain and the death and the insanity. But the abominations of the Fog hated the people of Contagion, who were to them as they are to us. So one of them devised a plan. The Zombie plague was just a primordial ooze, like any other on the borders of the Hallows. But unlike the others, it could spread by infecting a host and making it into one of them. The Zombie came to where the Contagionese people burned the oozes and slimes on the borders to help keep the influence of the Fog weaker. When it burned, it secretly attached tiny portions of itself to the people. It took time, but they grew, and eventually, the fungal rot, reaching inside so as not to be detected, took over their brains, destroying their original personalities and enslaving them. It made them take up arms, damaging their nerves so they would feel no pain and giving them supernatural strength, stamina and endurance. The people of Contagion stood no chance against this super-race, and before long, their empire collapsed into ruins and spires, the rotting remains of a broken dream defended by a few resolute survivors who refuse to give up. Some wonder why the resistance has not yet fallen. They cite having a cause to fight for, superior human reason, longer lifespan and thus greater knowledge and experience, but could it be that the truth is, the Zombie contagion isn't playing to win? In that ancient war, those first Zombie hosts, born in battle, won so brutally that there was no more fighting. What if they allow the survivors to press on in futility because it's fun…? Typhon vs. Mimizu On the morning of the day the city of Kibō fell, there were more tremors. It had been like this for a month, but lately, they had been getting worryingly strong. Cracks were appearing in the ground, and people had started disappearing, leaving no trace but large, deep holes in the ground which soon seemed to disappear. Many suspected another Kaiju was planning to invade, as Hametsu had done before Typhon had ousted him. They were more correct than they thought, and more wrong than they could've dreamed… Under the surface, an ancient beast was awakening. Mimizu was one of the last of his kind, a forgotten race of Kaiju nearly as old as the Fog itself. Most of his people had fallen in battle, and now he wanted revenge. It was time to honour the sacrifices made in that bloody war and finish the job his ancestors had started. A ghostly white eye opened and rock crumbled around him as he slowly broke through his shell. It just so happened he was inside a shell which the people of Kibō had unwittingly built their city upon. As Typhon surveyed his subjects, he grinned, or at least got the closest a colossus with storm clouds for skin could approximate a grin. He had watched whole generations live and die in just this past century. So short-lived, he laughed to himself, so tiny and delicious. He was hungry, and today, he knew it was time for a meal. It was Typhon Day in Kibō, the day when he would be honoured with human sacrifice. A hundred people had been chosen by the city council to end his ravenous hunger, beautiful young maidens, his favourite kind. It would be a delicious little snack. He looked forward to dinnertime next year, and wondered how many people to demand. Best make it a thousand, he thought to himself, with some kraken. Alas, dinnertime would never come. The hour was approaching. An intricately carved ship sailed out of the harbour while the residents of the city watched, some in sorrow and horror, others in delight and bloodlust. The only consolation to be had was that Typhon demanded far less than many other Kaiju overlords. Some wanted a thousand people every month, the gluttons. Many were so fat with sacrificed humans they couldn't even leave the water without hot air balloons being tied to them, and the citizens had deserted them. Of course, even a fat Kaiju confined to the water was still dangerous, and many people who'd tried to abandon their tyrants had suffered terrible fates. Soon, the harsh winds began to pick up. A swirling vortex began to form around the ship while waves crashed into the harbour. Soon, a huge whirlpool began forming, and then lightning filled the air. A monster of incredible proportions, more immense than even the largest whale, surfaced, and the whirlpool was his gaping maw. With a mighty roar, he sent forth a gale that drove the ship straight into the air. As long as he was eating, he figured he should terrify the spectators. Some might have thoughts of trying to overthrow him, and he wanted to ensure those ideas were destroyed. The ship crashed back into the water, much closer to the harbour, and a circle of waterspouts surrounded it. Typhon vanished under the water, and soon, a whirlpool started to form under the ship. Faint screams could be heard as the vessel was dragged into Typhon's mighty jaws and he chewed on it, savouring the taste of absolute terror. As the ship cracked, people fell into the water. Soon, all the sacrifices had fallen overboard. But Typhon was nowhere to be seen. The ship slowly sank under the surface, and a few of the maidens tried swimming to safety. Then, one was dragged under. Then another. And still another. One by one, their screams cut off by water, they were pulled under into Typhon's mouth. The last one had just clambered onto the beach when a bolt of electricity knocked her to the ground. A riptide washed towards her, pulling her towards the water. She clung on and screamed in vain for help as another wave dragged her backwards. In the shallow water, she tried to stand, tried to run, but the monster emerged behind her. Typhon, in all his glory, stood before the citizens of Kibō. He laughed at the woman's feeble attempts to escape. His hand plucked her off the ground and she was lifted into the air. As Typhon prepared to drop her into his mouth, he stopped. And he stared. And he laughed, a deep, booming laugh. "Ninety-nine." His voice echoed across the city. "Ninety-nine. You were missing one. We agreed to one hundred." A terrified murmur spread through the crowd. "You can't have her!" screamed a woman. She ran forward to face him. "She's my daughter," she cried in agony, "you mustn't have her!" Typhon roared, dropping the last sacrifice. "YOU HAVE DECEIVED ME!!" he yelled, catching the falling maiden and tossing her into his mouth. Then, the water started to disappear. It was as if the tide was going out. The water rolled away from Kibō and towards the horizon, where a distant blue line was starting to appear. A few people edged away from the harbour slowly. "I gave you a chance, people of Kibō. Remember that." He snatched the mother away. "REMEMBER!!" He held her aloft as the tsunami raced towards the doomed city. Then, the ground started to split. Suddenly, a massive rift opened in the ground, and in seconds, half of the city had been swallowed. Mimizu was awakened, and he hungered for vengeance. No mortal bystander could stand a chance against the ancient Kaiju's wrath. "TYPHON!" he cried, "YOU DESTROYED US! I WILL HAVE MY VENGEANCE!!" Typhon roared back his challenge. "So be it!" The raging tsunami he had summoned crashed into the city, sweeping towards Mimizu. But Mimizu raised a wall of earth and the water crashed into it, being swept aside across the city. Mimizu countered by sending giant boulders crashing towards his foe, but these were struck down by bolts of lightning. Typhon then unleashed the lightning upon his foe, hoping to burn the flesh from his body, yet no force he could muster was able to penetrate Mimizu's wall. The burning heat of the lightning melted some of the stone, which gave Mimizu an idea. He burrowed underground and then appeared beneath Typhon. Enraged, Typhon blasted at the ground with lightning, hoping to destroy the foul worm once and for all. But the heat was so great the ground started turning to lava, and before Typhon could make his escape, Mimizu burst out and pulled him into the inferno. Typhon vanished with a roar of defiance as Mimizu emerged the victor. The people in what remained of Kibō were sure that Mimizu would set himself up as the new tyrannical ruler of the city. But the Kaiju had other plans in mind. Tunnelling under the city, he ate away at the bedrock, and soon, all that remained began to cave in. The horrified citizens tried to flee, but to no avail. All were consumed by the earth, and every last one eaten by the ravenous monster. Driven by rage, bloodlust and hunger, the hunger of a thousand millennia sleeping, Mimizu left not one man, woman or child to tell the story of Kibō's fate. Yet the hungry worm's feast had only just begun, for Edo was a large island and there was so much food to consume… The Curious End of Baron Moragthal TBA Additional Info Category:Blog posts